Reflections and Directions: The Profession of Sport Psychology Past, Present, and Future

The authors review the historical context of sport psychology to explore the present state of sport psychology and make suggestions for the future of the field. The origins of sport psychology are rooted in efforts to improve athletic performance. However, the label "sport psychology" has been used to describe two different service delivery models: performance enhancement and therapy with athletes. Presently, advancements have been made in terms of organizational structure, but there has been little impact on the applied profession. In order to advance the profession, protect the public, and resolve confusion, sport psychology is examined. The authors identify performance excellence as the unique aspect of sport psychology and propose the field be identified as "performance psychology." In order to practice performance psychology competently, four areas of training are identified: (a) performance excellence, (b) mental health counseling, (c) consulting psychology, and (d) performance specialty domain(s). Finally, the authors recommend that a licensure specific to performance psychology be developed.